For over 30 years, Goldens Bikes has been LaGrange’s friendly neighborhood bicycle shop. On Aug. 30, the shop will be closing its doors for the last time.

Owner Rick Brock said the decision to close the store came from wanting to retire from retail.

“I’m excited about retiring. It’s rest coming in, that I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time. My wife and I are moving on to another adventure in our life,” Brock said. “She’s been a nurse for many years, and I’ve been a bike shop owner for many years. We’d been trying to sell this place for a long time and realized that we’re going to have to close it or sell it.”

Brock said after Aug. 30, he and his wife, Diana, will be doing some traveling over the next couple of years.

“My wife and I started talking and realized that if we don’t make a decision and say that this is our departure day, we’re never going to do it. We’re going to the next stage. So, we decided on Sept. 12, my birthday, we’re going somewhere,” Brock said.

After a vacation to celebrate Rick’s birthday, they’ll be on the west coast. He said Diana, a traveling ICU nurse, has a job in California and will work there for 13 weeks before moving on to their next destination.

“We’re going to spend some time traveling and seeing the country,” Brock said.

As far as selling the business, Brock said he’s had numerous people interested, but ultimately those deals have not come to fruition.

“There have been potential buyers, quite a few of them, but nobody wants to really take it on. It’s a fabulous opportunity for an entrepreneur,” Brock said. “I tell people if I ran across this deal 10 years ago, I would have written a check.”

Brock said he will miss all the customers and friends he’s made over the years.

“Over the last eight years, I’m pretty sure anybody will say I did them right. I took care of them, got them chasing their dream of riding, got them their kids’ bike, whatever the scenario is I don’t think I can count on one hand how many people left here going ‘this guy is a jerk.’ I’ve always done people right, so I’m going to really miss them,” Brock said.

Brock said he is sorry to tell his loyal customers he is closing the store.

“I am sorry that I have to close. I’m always a Hail Mary kind of guy. So who knows what’s going to happen? But as of right now, there are no buyers, so the shop will have to close. I wish I didn’t have to but if anybody needs help, there’s a good man in Auburn, and there’s a great guy who owns a bike shop up in Newnan. Both are good dealers and good places to go and get solid service,” Brock said.